Acting between guidelines and reality- an interview study exploring the strategies of first line managers in patient safety work

Abstract Background Safety culture can be described and understood through its manifestations in the organization as artefacts, espoused values basic underlying assumptions is strongly related to leadership-yet it remains elusive a concept. Even if literature points leadership an important factor for creating sustaining mature safety culture, little known about how work of first line managers’ done they balance different often conflicting organizational goals everyday practice. The purpose this study was explore health care managers perceive their role promote patient units. Methods Interview with intensive units eight hospitals located middle Sweden. An inductive qualitative content analysis approach used, then followed by deductive strategies informed constructs from High reliability organizations. Results We present view exemplify concrete which work. Conclusions Our shows central front-line organizing safe safety. Although promoted widely Swedish healthcare at time interviews, HSOPSC not mentioned source information on unit’s culture.